“Homeward bound!” cried Sam, enthusiastically.

“And with the treasure safe on board!” added Tom.  “It seems almost too good to be true.”

“And the enemy left behind,” put in Dick.  “I hope they go back and hunt for the stuff,” he went on, with a grin.

His wish was fulfilled, as they learned a long time later, through one of the sailors composing the crew of the Josephine.  The tramp steamer tried all of the next day to locate the steam yacht and then Sid Merrick ordered the craft back to Treasure Isle.  Here, Merrick, Tad Sobber, Carey, Bossermann and several others worked for nearly a week trying to unearth the treasure, but, of course, without success.  Then they had a quarrel with the Spaniard, Doranez, who would not keep sober.  They accused the man of taking them to the wrong place, and in the fight that followed three men were seriously wounded.  Then all went aboard the steamer and set sail for Cuba.  The very next day the Josephine was caught in a hurricane, one of the worst experienced in the West Indies for many years.  It drove the tramp steamer on the rocks, and before she could be gotten off several big holes were pounded into her and she went down.  The sailor who told the story said he got away with four other sailors in a rowboat, and after a fearful experience lasting two days was picked up by a steamer bound for Havana.  He did not know what had become of the others on board and was of the opinion that the most of them, if not all, had been drowned.

Fortunately for those on the steam yacht, the Rainbow weathered the hurricane well.  The craft did a lot of plunging and pitching, and the ladies and girls had to keep below, but that was all.  After the hurricane the weather became unusually fine, and the trip back to Philadelphia proved a pleasant one.  Arriving at the Quaker City, Mr. Rover had the treasure deposited in a strong box of a local Trust Company, and later it was divided according to the terms of Mr. Stanhope’s will.  This put a goodly sum in the bank for Dora and her mother, and also large amounts to the credit of Mrs. Laning and Nellie and Grace.  The entire expenses of the trip were paid out of the treasure, and Captain Barforth and his men were not forgotten for their services.  Mrs. Stanhope wanted to reward the boys, but not one would listen to this.

“Well, you are very kind,” she said, to all of them.  “If at any time you are in trouble, come to me.  I shall not forget you.”  She, however, insisted upon presenting Dick with a new watch and chain and diamond pin to replace those stolen from him by Cuffer and Shelley.

“Well, that winds up the treasure hunt,” observed Tom, as the whole party were on their way home.  “Now for the next move on the programme.”

“The next move is to go to school once more,” said Dick.  And he was right, as we shall learn in the next volume of this series, to be entitled, “The Rover Boys at College; Or, The Right Road and the Wrong.”  In that volume we shall meet many of our old friends once more, and learn the details of a plot against fun-loving Tom which had a most unlooked for ending.  We shall also meet Dora and her cousins again, and see how they acted when their boy friends were in deep trouble.